Berglandschap met beekje, herder en schapen 1797 - 1870

Andreas Schelfhout made this landscape with a stream, shepherd, and sheep using pen and brush in grey ink on paper. It's a study of the natural world, yes, but also of the materials available to an artist in the 19th century. Note the paper: handmade, with a slightly uneven surface that catches the light, each sheet unique. The ink, too, would have been mixed by hand, from natural pigments, to achieve precisely the desired tone. Schelfhout's skillful application coaxes out the textures of foliage, rock, and water, as well as the softness of the clouds. The subtle gradations of tone create a sense of depth and atmosphere. In that period, artists like Schelfhout were part of a burgeoning market for landscapes and genre scenes, catering to a middle class newly able to afford art. The tools might seem simple – paper, pen, brush, ink – but the artist's hand transformed them into a window onto an idealized world, and a reflection of the social context in which it was created.